How do I configure a new UUID after clone a Mac VM instance?

[cwu2019]

I am using VMware Fusion,  and I have a parent macOS VM instance.   after I 'clone' (not copy and paste) the VM,  I still get the same UUID for the new VM. 

What confused me is that:  I check the vmx file in the new vm,  it is actually a different uuid already.  Any ideas how I can fix this problem?

I've tried this https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1541​ but it doesn't work for me,  I still get same UUID.

[wila]

Hi,

What VMware Fusion version?

What macOS version is your guest?

How do you determine it has the same UUID?

--

Wil

[cwu2019]

Hi, I am using VMware fusion 11.5.1.

The way I do it:

Method 1:

• I have VM 1, cloned it to VM 2,  and then I powered on both VM,  on the Mac UI,  check about system information​,  the both VM still have exactly the same hardware UUID.

Method 2

• I tried to modify the uuid.bios,  uuid.location fields in vmx file,  restart vmware and power on the VM,  the VM UUID still stay the same

[RDPetruska]

Did you edit the vmx while the guest was running?  Try with the guest powered off (not just suspended, either).

[cwu2019]

Here is how I modify the vmx file:

1. power off guest vm
2. modify vmx file uuid.bios and uuid.location fields
3. save file
4. quite and relaunch vmware
5. start guest vm
6. check the os setting,  hw info,  UUID is not changed.

I also see one of the vmware article claimed that after a proper VMware 'Clone',  the UUID and MAC address will be re-generated in the new VM,  but this is not working for me too.

[wila]

Hi,

Ok, unfortunately I'm currently lacking the time to test this myself.

What I would try first is to check the output of the command line command:

ioreg -rd1 -c IOPlatformExpertDevice

Does that give the same output on both machines as well?

You would be looking at the line with "IOPlatformUUID"

Like you say, a clone should wipe out the uuid fields in the hardware.

Normally on boot you would then get a new hardware ID and it should reflect in the hardware.

Another - seemingly far fetched- idea would be that the old hardware id is somehow cached in the kernel cache.

You could try that by rebuilding the kernel cache.

This itself can be done by booting in safe mode, see also: https://eclecticlight.co/2019/11/16/which-startup-mode/

--

Wil

[cwu2019]

I've tried the cli command you suggested,  both VMs still give me same UUID. 

ioreg -rd1 -c IOPlatformExpertDevice 

I've tried restarted the cloned VM into safe mode,  and then check the UUID,  no changes. 

[wila]

Hi,

I still did not have the time to test... but got intrigued and can confirm that I see the same thing.

VMware Fusion 15.5.1

Guest OS: macOS Catalina beta 8

I cloned that and looked at the vmx to see the differences.

The following data was wiped out

uuid.bios = ""

uuid.location = ""

That's expected behavior.

The following was NOT changed

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0C:29:8E:26:C0"

Which frankly was unexpected.

The following new lines are added to the vmx file of the clone.

vc.uuid = ""

policy.vm.mvmtid = ""

Which IIRC is correct and is -I think- something for vSphere...

After booting the clone, the output of the line

ioreg -rd1 -c IOPlatformExpertDevice | grep IOPlatformUUID

is the same on both original VM as well as the clone.

So figured to update to developer beta 10.

That made no difference.

Another thing to try was to just clear out the generated MAC Address for the NIC.

This also made no difference.

Also made sure that all the uuid's in the VMs are different (they are)

Not sure who's to blame here.

VMware or apple, but it sure is weird.

--

Wil